Mailbox



Aug 14' 1945 I H. LocssDoNA A 2,382,545

` MAIL Box Filed sept. 2s, 194s Fiq.s. a? 4 lines, and their alternate Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAILBOX Harry Logsdon, Newton, Iowa Applicationv September 23, 1943, Serial No. 503,500

' (C1. 23a- 17) y 1 Claim.

This invention relates to mail boxes, and is especially designed for use upon rural routes as a means for facilitating both the delivery and colf lection of mail matter.

The chief object of the invention is to provide a mail box of the kind referred to, which is relatively simple and durable in structure and efficient and practical in use and operation.

Another object is t provide a mail box or receptacle having separate and specially designed compartments for magazines and letters, the magazine compartment being expansible for enabling it to receive magazines of relatively unusual length, and the letter compartment having a frontal portion slidably mounted over axed bottom and fixed rear wall or side, for enabling the frontal portion to be drawn down for bringing the letters conveniently to the hand of the recipient.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mail box or receptacle having a hinged lid over its upper end, a pair of telescopically associated magazine tubes mounted in the back portion of the box, the outer tube being xedly secured to the box and the inner tube mounted to slide thereinto, with means for resiliently drawing the inner tube into the outer tube and normally retaining it in such position, a letter receptacle mounted forwardly of the magazine tubes and comprising a frontal portion slidably mounted' upon its inner or rear wall or side, and over a fixed bottom portion, whereby the frontal portion may be slid aside or downward over the bottom portion, for bringing the letters in the compartment more conveniently to the hand of the recipient.

With the foregoing objects in View, together with such other and additional objects and advantages as may appear from the specification, attention is directed to the accompanying drawing as embodying certain preferred structural features of the invention. and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail box constructed in accordance with this invention, the hinged lid thereof being raised, the normal retracted or closed positions of the magazine and letter holding compartments being sho-wn in full or open positions being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through .the forwardly mounted letter compartment, the latter being shown in its lowered or open position relative to the box proper.

Figure 3 is a vertical medial section through the body portion of the box and through the magA azine compartment thereof, the latter being shown with the inner tube thereof in its lowered or open position, as for receiving a magazine of unusual length.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the box and the two compartments thereof.

The invention comprises an elongated box referred to generally at 5, and preferably rectangular in cross section. The upper end of the box is provided with a lid 6 hinged at 'I to the rear margin of the'box; A magazine tube r8 is extended longitudinally through'the box, the same lbeing open at its ends, and being permanently secured in place by means of the webs 9, 9b 'connected with and extended from the end margins of the box inwardly and joined to the circular margins of the tube at its ends.v An inner magazine tube I 0 is freely and telescopically tted within the outer magazine tube 8, the tube I0 being permanently closed at its lower end by the plate II, which is formed with diametrically extended tabs IIa.. A pair of draw rod's are threaded at their lower ends as at I2a, and these ends are slidably passed through holes in the tabs and there secured by the nuts I2b. `The rods I2 are passed slidably up through holes 9a in the lower web 9b, and Coil compression springs I3 are seated over these rods and| braced between the bottom web 9b and the heads I5 of the said rods. Thus the normal action of the springs I3 is to draw the inner magazine tube I0-up into the outer tube 8, but it is evident that the insertion of a magazine of unusual length and rolled up for the purpose, into the inner tulbe I0, will by its own weight or through pressure applied thereto for the purpose, project the inner tube I0 down-y wardly and outwardly of the outer tube 8, so as to fully receive the said magazine. On the other hand, when the magazine is taken out of the box, then the springs I3 will again return the inner tube to its normal and raised? position Within the outer tube.

The lateral margins of the frontal side of the box 5 are slotted longitudinally as shown at 5a, in a parallel relation, and an elongated and relatively narrow letter compartment or holder I6 which is left open at its inner side as shown at Ilia, but is formed with the inturned flanges |6b at this inner side, is slidably positioned at lthese flanges upon the frontal side of the box 5, with the flanges I6b overlying the slots 5a. The compartment I6 is slidably held in place upon the box 5 by mean of studs or rivets I'I passed through the flanges and through the Slots, the inner ends of the rivets being upset or spread for slidably overlying the margins of the slots and the outer ends of the rivets being set or anchored in the flanges |617.

, A pair of coil springs I8 are secured at their lower ends to the inner ends of small bolts I9 which are passed through the flanges IBb and through the slots 5a, and the springs are then drawn taut and are secured at their upper ends as at 20 to the inner face of the upper web 9. Thus the normal action ofthe springs I8 is to draw the compartment I6 upward to its closed position. The compartment or holder I6 is left open at both ends, but the bottom end is closed by the web extension 9b, extended from the lower box 5, and partially separated therefrom at its margins by the slots 9c which slidably receive the inturned flanges |61)` of the letter compartment or holder I-S. Thus the web extension 9b which forms the bottom of the compartment I6, remains in its xed position as the compartment itself is pressed downward against the action of the springs I8, whereby any letters Within the said compartment are brought conveniently to the hand of the person operating the box. The lid 6 is of course adapted to close down over the upper ends of both the box 5 and the letter compartment I6, and may be provided with any conventional form of lock (not shown), as may be desired.

It is thought that from the foregoing description, the construction and use of the mail box will be fully understood. Through the extensible and telescopically associated magazine tubes, magazines of various sizes may be readily reend web 9 of the ceived within these tubes, and the letter compartment may be readily pressed downward for bringing letters conveniently to hand.

While I have here shown and described a preferred embodiment of the mailbox and the structural features thereof, the features and assembly as described may be varied or changed as desired, within the scope of the claim.

I claim:

In a. device of the kind described, an elongated box rectangular in cross section, an outer magazine tube seated medially through the box, the said tube being open at its ends and supported in place within the box by end webs extended between the box and tube, an inner magazine tube telescopcally seated within the outer magazinetube, said inner tube being closed at its lower end and open at its upper end, tabs extended from the lower end of the inner tube diametrically towards-opposite corners of the rectangular box and positioned outwardly of the lower end of the box, a pair of draw rods anchored at their lower ends to the said tabs and passed slidably upward through holes formed in the tabs into the opposite corners of the box, coil compression springs seated over the draw rods within the corners of the box and braced between the bottom web of the box and the headed upper ends of the draw rods, whereby the inner tube is normally and resiliently drawn upward within the outer ltube, but may be pressed outward and downward for receiving a magazine of excessive length.

HARRY LOGSDON. 

